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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: chip · clip · temple · lash · plane · rest · vault · chest

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — a box
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — a tool
  17. clip — a video
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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