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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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Word bank
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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: hide · board · cell · charge · rash · foot · arm · court

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cell — a phone
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — the bottom

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