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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: pit · bear · ruler · wound · can · bound · vault · straw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — to be able to

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