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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: straw · vault · kick · toast · lean · fork · net · mine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — after costs
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — in football

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