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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: scale · cap · wake · cold · pass · wound · ruler · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cold — not warm
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — of ice

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