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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · spell · mouse · vault · row · game · band · foot

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — letters
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. foot — a measure
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a line
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a ring

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