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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — for baseball

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