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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.

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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: row · rule · tube · swing · last · vault · stem · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — music
  10. rule — government
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — to go on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — a law
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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