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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 · wound · bass · foot · deal · arm · object · stock

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stock — shares
  23. foot — a measure
  24. arm — a part of something

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