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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. shower — rain
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — the season
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — a safe
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wave — with your hand

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