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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: object · row · bore · hide · arm · face · temple · content

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. face — to confront
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — happy
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to drill
  22. row — a line
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — an aim

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