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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — music
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a flat piece

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