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

Word bank: suit · chair · arm · racket · fan · race · face · fork

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. race — humankind
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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