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

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bat — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. file — a document
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. drill — army training
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. scale — size or range
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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