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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kid — to tease
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — a box
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kid — child
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — for spectators

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