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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bass — low music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rest — a break
  12. rush — hurry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. arm — a part of something

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