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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 · dip · rash · stand · arm · foot · squash · charge

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — part of the head
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — to point toward
  24. squash — the vegetable

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