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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: straw · mouse · craft · vault · ball · dip · clip · ruler

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. craft — boats
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  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