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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — a leader
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. file — a document
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a line of people

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