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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — all right
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — a position
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — a partner

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