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

Word bank: sharp · pitch · vault · cell · temple · mouse · arm · calf

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cell — a phone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — completely
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. calf — a young animal

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