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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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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: vault · fine · firm · dip · straw · cap · wake · rule

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — high quality
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — a company
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — of ice
  19. firm — steady
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — a sauce

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