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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · vault · object · saw · ruler · file · last · lean

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. object — to protest
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. pop — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. object — a thing

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