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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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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: scale · snap · foot · vault · mate · row · spring · nail

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — a measure
  9. row — a line
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mate — a partner
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. spring — the season

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