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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: dip · vault · chest · current · game · tear · object · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — happening now
  11. game — a match
  12. tear — to rip
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. vault — a safe
  16. object — an aim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — a thing
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — to dunk

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