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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: cell · kick · bulb · hand · chest · chip · file · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. file — a tool
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — a box
  13. kick — in football
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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