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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — the season
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. pass — a permit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. track — to keep track
  13. roll — a cake
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mark — a trace
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — a coil

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