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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — of a plant
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — the amount
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — happy
  21. root — the cause
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — to visit

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