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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — a box
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. file — a tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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