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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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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: track · vault · clip · arm · march · scale · ruler · wave

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — a safe
  9. clip — for paper
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — music
  15. track — a path
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. clip — a video
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — size or range
  23. clip — to cut
  24. arm — a part of something

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