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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: spring · hand · chest · kick · craft · cue · plane · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spring — a coil
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — of water
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chest — a box
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. cue — a signal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. craft — a skill

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