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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. vault — a safe
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. land — to come down
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the 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