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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — a price

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