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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cue — a hint
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a committee
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — a signal
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — a box
  24. lie — to recline

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