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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: vault · foot · snap · ball · leaves · straw · ruler · swing

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ball — a round shape

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