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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. land — to come down
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a committee
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. land — a country
  16. track — a path
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. land — ground
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — to get on

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