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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to click
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — in 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