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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: hide · arm · pitcher · cell · fork · nail · lean · face

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to confront
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cell — a phone
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — to rest against

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