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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: mouse · lie · fork · vault · fan · field · ruler · band

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a ring
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. field — for sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — a subject
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lie — to recline

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