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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. track — a song
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — a path
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tear — to rip
  19. degree — from a university
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tear — from crying

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