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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. board — to get on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — magic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a grade

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