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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: arm · board · suit · chest · cell · charge · bound · sharp

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — of your body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. suit — to fit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — electricity
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — certain
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cell — in biology
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — clever

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