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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: arm · ball · vault · rest · roll · deal · lash · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a great time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. vault — a safe
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rest — a break
  24. row — a quarrel

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