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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: cabinet · fork · chair · march · shower · vault · charge · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — in control
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — a price
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. shower — rain
  18. march — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chair — a professorship

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