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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: ruler · arm · fine · net · face · rest · pound · hand

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — in sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — all right

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