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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cap — a hat
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — a thing
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — to protest
  12. band — a music group
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — to get on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. band — a rubber band

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