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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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Word bank
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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: foot · vault · arm · band · pitcher · wave · hand · toast

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. toast — bread
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — a measure
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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