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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — a leader
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. board — a committee
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — in music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — government

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