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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: ruler · pop · race · clip · bay · vault · shower · straw

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. clip — to cut
  13. race — a contest
  14. shower — rain
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. clip — a video
  23. shower — to wash
  24. clip — for paper

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