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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · wind · arm · board · bat · object · fall · chest

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chest — a box
  3. bat — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — a committee
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — a thing
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — to protest

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