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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: rule · straw · net · fall · vault · ruler

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. net — after costs
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — government
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rule — a law

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