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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: fan · cue · wake · ruler · row · vault · ground · clip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a hint
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. clip — a video
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. clip — to cut

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