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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: rock · arm · rest · content · board · vault · game · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a match
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — what's left

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