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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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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 · trunk · wind · last · bulb · degree · vault · ruler

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — to go on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — a safe

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