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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: key · chest · ruler · pop · arm · vault · jam · wax

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pop — to visit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chest — a box
  24. ruler — for measuring

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