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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 120 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: row · bound · present · fork · mark · face · pitcher · arm

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a line
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. present — the time now
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bound — certain
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bound — obliged

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