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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: kid · content · mark · stick · bowl · arm · face · saw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — happy
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — to confront
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. saw — the tool

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