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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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Word bank
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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: arm · chair · ground · tear · vault · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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