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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bat — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — the fish
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kid — child
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a music group

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