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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: mug · lash · vault · ball · tube · fork · row · kid

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kid — child
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mug — a face
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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