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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: fork · mate · lean · bay · vault · bowl · row · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to bend
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — thin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. row — a line

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