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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. row — a line
  4. current — of water
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — a committee
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — happening now

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