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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: fall · cabinet · straw · racket · nail · vault · rule · kick

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — a law
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rule — government
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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