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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: snap · date · vault · row · kick · foot · key · roll

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — in football
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. key — for a lock
  10. roll — a cake
  11. key — the most important part
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. snap — to click
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — in music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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