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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: straw · chest · bowl · temple · vault · arm · deal · net

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — a box
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — 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