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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 · charge · hand · band · key · hide · file · board

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — in cards
  10. file — a document
  11. key — for a lock
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — the most important part
  14. charge — a price
  15. band — a ring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — part of the body

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