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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. foot — a measure
  5. board — a committee
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cabinet — ministers

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