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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — to go on
  5. kick — in football
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. last — final
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — a series
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — hasty

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