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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: vault · chest · chip · stick · kick · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — in football
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. deal — to handle

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