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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — a tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — for sport

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