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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
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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: arm · object · dip · mate · mug · face · field · rest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. field — farmland
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — for sport
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — a face
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mate — a friend

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