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

Word bank: arm · mouse · craft · snap · row · lie · face · mate

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — to point toward
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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