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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.

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: season · hand · stand · foot · vault · mouse · mine · ruler

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — help
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. season — of the year
  24. hand — in cards

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