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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: row · tube · hand · bank · chest · vault · arm · foot

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chest — a box
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — a measure

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