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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — there
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — the time now
  24. ground — a position

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