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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 116 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: stick · row · kick · rock · staff · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — a safe
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — a line
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rock — a stone

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