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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: suit · vault · bore · net · arm · cold · racket · lie

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — not warm
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cold — an illness
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — to fit
  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