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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — a committee
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — to get on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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