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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: bowl · fine · nail · pop · arm · vault · chair · lean

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bowl — to roll

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