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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: stick · vault · row · mate · foot · hand · cabinet · mine

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — a line
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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