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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.

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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: face · bound · lean · lash · content · cap · arm · nail

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — thin
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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