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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fall — the season
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — to crush

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