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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — in music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. roll — a cake
  20. file — a document
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — a list
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bore — to tire

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