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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — a safe
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kid — to tease
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kid — child
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. row — a line
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. arm — a part of something

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