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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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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: staff · stick · vault · row · mate · deal

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mate — to breed
  9. row — a line
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement

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