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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — low music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chest — a box
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chest — of your 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