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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: rule · vault · dip · row · trunk · straw · ruler · ground

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — a safe
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — a law
  16. row — to paddle
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — the earth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — a position

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