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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: wake · bound · ruler · vault · fall · cap · snap · coach

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fall — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — a hat
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — a trainer

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