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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: face · bat · arm · staff · deal · stand · spring · tube

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — to confront
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — of water
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spring — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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