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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to click
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a leader
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — a committee
  24. arm — part of the body

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