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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.

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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: sharp · hand · vault · lash · deal · bound

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — a safe
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hand — part of the body

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