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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: rest · mug · vault · kick · wound · file · stand · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. file — a document
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kick — in football
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a line of people
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stand — for spectators

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