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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rest — a break
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rest — what's left

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