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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 116 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: ruler · rest · leaves · fork · chair · drill · vault · wind

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — army training

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