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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — an aim
  8. board — to get on
  9. object — a thing
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. object — to protest
  14. roll — a list
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of a king
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — for sport
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. board — a committee
  24. kick — 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