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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · arm · wave · present · cell · hide · ruler · row

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a line
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. present — the time now
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — a gift
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — a part of something

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