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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: row · last · vault · charge · foot · temple · root · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — a price
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — the cause
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — final
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. foot — a measure
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — a safe

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