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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: clip · rule · ruler · roll · vault · trunk

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. clip — a video
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. roll — a list
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — a safe
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. clip — for paper
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree

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