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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · squash · wake · racket · clip · board · bore

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — a video
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bore — to drill

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