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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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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: mouse · saw · shower · clip · vault · ruler · spring · cabinet

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — to cut
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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