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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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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: saw · bowl · suit · bay · field · chest · face · arm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. face — to point toward
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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