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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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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: nail · arm · club · court · saw · face · vault · hand

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. court — of law
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — for sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to point toward
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — a safe
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — on a finger

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