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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: vault · bulb · pitcher · ground · hide · pound · ruler · straw

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ground — crushed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ground — a position
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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