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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. land — to come down
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. roll — a list
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. band — a ring
  23. craft — boats
  24. roll — on a roll

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