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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: court · jam · wound · face · cabinet · arm · object · root

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. root — of a word
  5. face — part of the head
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to confront
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. object — an aim

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