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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. firm — a company
  3. roll — a cake
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — a box
  14. firm — steady
  15. board — to get on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chest — of your body

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