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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: vault · track · season · ruler · spring · kid · board · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. board — a committee
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — a song
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — to tease
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. kid — child
  19. track — a path
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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