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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a committee
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — the bottom

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