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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — goods
  20. wind — moving air
  21. row — to paddle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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