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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: squash · face · foot · pop · leaves · court · arm · roll

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — soda
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. court — of a king
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. face — to point toward

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