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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: mate · face · object · fine · mouse · net · stick · arm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — to point toward
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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