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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: chest · arm · vault · straw · rock · cell · charge · fork

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. rock — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chest — a box
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — in control

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