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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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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: mouse · arm · chest · clip · board · foot · rock · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. clip — to cut

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