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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — finally
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — final
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a document
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. capital — a big letter

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