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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a partner

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