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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: chip · leaves · chair · roll · mine · fork · vault · row

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — to paddle
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — in a road
  20. row — a line
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. leaves — of a tree

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