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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 120 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: ruler · bowl · vault · staff · fine · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against

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