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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cell — in biology
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — in traffic

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