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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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. club — a group
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — in biology
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — for dancing

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