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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. land — to come down
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — ground
  14. row — to paddle
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. land — a country
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — rain
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. craft — a handicraft

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