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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 · straw · hide · arm · bulb · nail

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — 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