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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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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: straw · mine · band · mate · kick · safe · pitcher · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — for digging
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mate — a friend
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. band — a rubber band

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