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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: firm · fine · rest · chip · vault · mark · arm · sharp

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — a break
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. firm — a company
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. arm — part of the body

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