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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: saw · vault · wound · kid · kick · mate · plane · present

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kid — child
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. present — there
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. vault — a safe
  19. present — the time now
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. present — a gift

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