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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — for catching
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. net — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — after costs
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — employees

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