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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — the season
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hand — in cards
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — help
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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