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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · lean · hand · vault · pitcher · trunk · hide · deal

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — to handle
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chair — to sit on

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