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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 · chip · fall · vault · ground · drill

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fall — the season
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — a position
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ground — the earth

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