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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. file — a document
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a trace
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. file — a tool

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