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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — a hint
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — to drop

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