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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: hide · saw · arm · chest · cabinet · bowl · dip · face

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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