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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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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: bound · branch · straw · vault · shower · key · charge · ruler

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — to wash
  6. key — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — a price
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — the most important part
  22. charge — in control
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bound — certain

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