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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: ball · firm · arm · squash · leaves · rest · jam · vault

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a great time
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. squash — the sport
  8. firm — a company
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rest — a break
  11. firm — steady
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — to go away

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