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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 120 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
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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: last · trunk · bowl · vault · mine · object · straw · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mine — for digging
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — to go on
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — to protest
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — a thing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — final
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — finally

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