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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fine — high quality
  6. vault — a safe
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. clip — a video
  15. fine — all right
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wound — an injury

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