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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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Word bank
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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — to rip
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wound — an injury
  10. land — a country
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — ground
  14. chest — a box
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — music
  17. land — to come down
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a skill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — boats

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