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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: mine · vault · fine · straw · kid · ruler

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — child
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — a safe

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