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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: vault · rock · bat · lean · bear · mark · club · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. club — for golf
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bear — the animal

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