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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — a thing
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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