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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. vault — a safe
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — farmland
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. field — a subject
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — a box

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