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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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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 · mate · stick · lean · kid · cell · hide · vault

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — thin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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