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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · charge · arm · spring · firm · vault · object · rash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. clip — to cut
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. spring — of water
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — a video
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — the season
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — in control
  24. object — to protest

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