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

Word bank: ruler · vault · cold · leaves · cap · bowl

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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. leaves — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cold — not warm
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cap — a hat

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