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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. roll — a list
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ground — a position
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hand — help

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