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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spring — the season
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. land — to come down
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. land — ground
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. land — a country
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — in cards
  20. season — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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