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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — a position
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bank — of a river
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — crushed

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