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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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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: face · court · arm · ball · foot · mate · wave · calf

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — of law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ball — a dance
  21. face — to point toward
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — part of the body

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