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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kid — child
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — a phone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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