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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — soda
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — to visit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — clever
  23. band — a ring
  24. vault — a safe

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