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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: march · arm · face · cell · race · vault · cabinet · track

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a song
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cell — a phone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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