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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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