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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a face
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a cup
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — government
  22. board — to get on
  23. key — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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