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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cap — a hat
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — to keep secret

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