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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — a practice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — of a tree

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