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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. clip — a video
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cap — a hat
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. clip — to cut
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — 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