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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — a safe
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. file — a tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — army training

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