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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: ground · ruler · file · rock · kick · vault

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a document
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — a stone

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