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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bound — certain
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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