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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: vault · prune · march · arm · game · stand · face · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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 — in gymnastics
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — a container
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — wild animals

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