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

Word bank: wake · dip · staff · vault · nail · ruler

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. dip — to dunk

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