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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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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: cue · pound · ruler · wax · fork · vault · straw · coach

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wax — for sculpting

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