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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 120 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: drill · saw · kick · vault · present · bowl · chip · chest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. drill — army training
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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