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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.

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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: foot · board · clip · wound · bass · snap · arm · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. firm — decided
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. firm — a company
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — a video
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. foot — a measure
  17. clip — for paper
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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