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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: foot · tear · mine · rule · lean · mug · vault · saw

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — government
  13. mug — a face
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — to rip
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. saw — the tool

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