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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: bowl · ruler · craft · coach · vault · lean · wind · pound

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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. wind — moving air
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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