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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — a position
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — for weighing

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