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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.

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: deal · leaves · fine · vault · net · hand · chest · bowl

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — in cards
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chest — a box
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — a dish

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