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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — obliged
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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