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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: vault · last · arm · hide · wound · can · chip · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — for betting
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — to eat

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