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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: arm · vault · straw · hide · racket · nail · mine · trunk

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — for digging
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  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