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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · lie · arm · perch · coach · board · mate · lash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. board — to get on
  8. ground — a position
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. perch — the fish

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