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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — to be able to
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — help
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. march — the month
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. march — music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bore — to tire

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