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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — a committee
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — part of the body

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