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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. date — the fruit
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — an aim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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