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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: arm · chest · ball · bulb · safe · pitcher · face · dip

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — to sink
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chest — of your body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to confront
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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