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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — of a river
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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