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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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 — in gymnastics
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. firm — a company
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fall — the season
  24. arm — a part of something

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