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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — thin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — finally
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bound — certain
  12. mug — to rob
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. last — final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. bound — obliged
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — to go on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — a face

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