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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: vault · prune · track · ruler · rock · fan · arm · straw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — a safe
  24. track — a path

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