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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: bound · fan · bowl · swing · arm · stick · face · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. swing — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. face — to confront
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — to point toward
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — to cool the air

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