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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: object · fall · arm · key · land · jam · tear · vault

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — a thing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. key — in music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — an aim

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