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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. face — to confront
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wound — an injury

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