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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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