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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: kick · track · bowl · prune · arm · rush · ground · face

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — in football
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — a path
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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