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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a line
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — the season
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — for betting

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