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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: mate · row · rest · roll · wake · fork · vault · pass

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — a break
  11. roll — a list
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — a trail
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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