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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chest — a box
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — clever
  24. arm — 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