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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 120 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: arm · bat · ruler · chest · lie · vault · bank · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — for money
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. chest — a box
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lie — an untruth
  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