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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — in cards
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chest — a box
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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