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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: lie · roll · vault · ruler · bear · spring · present · stock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. vault — a safe
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — a list
  7. stock — goods
  8. spring — of water
  9. present — there
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — shares

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