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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: chest · arm · squash · spring · foot · ruler · vault · drill

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spring — of water
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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