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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: ruler · wake · coach · cell · vault · kid · craft · foot

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cell — a phone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kid — child
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cell — in biology
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cell — in a prison

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