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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — to get on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — a stone
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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