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

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — government
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rule — a law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spell — magic
  24. arm — 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