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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: arm · roll · face · fork · pop · lie · kid · rash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — music
  4. roll — a list
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — to tease
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kid — child
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pop — soda

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