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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: rest · arm · charge · scale · cap · chest · hide · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — in music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — to get on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — in control
  23. chest — a box
  24. charge — a price

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