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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: straw · mate · last · row · fork · bound · vault · bulb

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. last — to go on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — final
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mate — a friend

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