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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. net — after costs
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chest — a box
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. swing — to play on

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