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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — tied together
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — obliged
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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