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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 120 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: land · root · vault · mate · perch · hand · fine · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — ground
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a plant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — help
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. root — of a word
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — high quality

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