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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · mouse · rash · ball · face · arm · mate · calf

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fork — in a road
  9. face — to point toward
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — part of the head

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