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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a match
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. face — to point toward
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — to confront
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com