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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — the amount
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — a safe
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cue — for pool
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — a coil
  23. content — happy
  24. foot — part of the body

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