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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lean — thin
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. vault — a safe
  23. scale — in music
  24. rash — a series

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