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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a committee
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — happy
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — the amount

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