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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. key — in music
  6. march — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — letters
  13. swing — music
  14. spell — magic
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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