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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rock — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chip — for betting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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