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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — help
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — to go on
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. suit — in cards
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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