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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cue — for pool
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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