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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: arm · bulb · pound · lie · club · squash · hand · vault

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lie — to recline
  4. club — for golf
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — a group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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