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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.

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: leaves · bat · chip · vault · wave · spring · hand · arm

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — help
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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