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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: dip · arm · file · club · spell · vault · mark · cell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. file — a document
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. club — for golf
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. cell — a phone
  24. arm — a part of something

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