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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 116 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: straw · kick · rock · mate · saw · fork · wind · vault

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — in football
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — a friend
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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