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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: kick · mate · row · spell · craft · vault

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — a line
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — boats
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spell — a short time
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — a thrill

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