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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: wound · vault · fall · arm · drill · bowl · hide · leaves

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — a practice
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — a safe
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fall — to drop

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