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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: key · bat · hand · lean · bay · kid · vault · mug

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — thin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kid — child

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