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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: hide · vault · bound · tube · saw · straw · court · ruler

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tube — the underground
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bound — certain
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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