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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: mark · safe · vault · court · row · lash · mate · roll

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a line
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mate — to breed
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — of a king
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — a safe
  24. court — for sport

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