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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. roll — a list
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a committee

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