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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 120 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: face · sharp · lean · arm · deal · racket · pound · fan

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — thin

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