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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.

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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 · bark · land · deal · stem · vault · fine · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. land — a country
  19. row — a line
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — to come down

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