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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. vault — a safe
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — a box
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — of your body

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