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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: vault · deal · club · drill · lash · ruler

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — a group
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. club — for dancing
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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