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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mug — to rob
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. mug — a cup
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — part of the body

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