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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — a committee
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cold — not warm
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. charge — a price

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