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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: deal · content · game · lean · arm · face · ball · swing

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — to point toward
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. swing — music
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to confront
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. swing — to play on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. ball — a dance
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a great time

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