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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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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 · kid · mate · rest · club · key · vault · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — child
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rest — a break
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fall — the season
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — to breed
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — a measure

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