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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 · season · nail · board · scale · tear · rock · mug

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — a cup
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — to rob
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — in sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — music
  24. board — a committee

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