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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: chair · foot · arm · pass · face · kick · bulb · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — to confront
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. face — part of the head
  19. kick — in football
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  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