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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — in football
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. row — a line
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rash — on the skin

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