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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: hand · mug · date · arm · key · face · chest · pitcher

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. key — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — a box
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. key — the most important part

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