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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: jam · arm · fork · drill · firm · lash · season · vault

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. drill — army training
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. drill — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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