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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.

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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: fall · mark · game · vault · scale · safe · shower · ruler

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. shower — rain
  19. scale — in music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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