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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · face · sharp · fan · arm · hand · mouse · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. hand — help
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. face — to point toward
  23. vault — a safe
  24. sharp — exactly

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