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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: file · vault · lie · squash · chair · kick · patient · arm

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. vault — a safe
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — to recline

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