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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: stand · mate · row · face · lash · foot · cabinet · vault

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. face — to confront
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. vault — a safe

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