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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 116 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: vault · trunk · plane · net · cold · ruler · wake · suit

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. net — for catching
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — after costs
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cold — not warm
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. vault — a safe
  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