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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — a skill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — a law
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. craft — a handicraft

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