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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. vault — a safe
  16. file — a document
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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