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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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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — after costs
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a great time

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