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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: bowl · chip · vault · chest · kick · kid · season · tube

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. season — of the year
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — a container
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — in sport

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