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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 116 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: mine · rock · ruler · shower · race · vault

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — for digging

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