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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: pound · wave · ruler · vault · rule · temple · track · straw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a path
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — a law
  11. pound — a weight
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — government
  24. straw — a straw man

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