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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: deal · chest · rush · roll · hand · object · vault · charge

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — to handle
  9. vault — a safe
  10. roll — a list
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chest — a box
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — in cards
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. hand — help
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. object — a thing
  24. charge — in control

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