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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — army training

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