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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: ruler · kid · race · cap · vault · clip · wake · board

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. clip — a video
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kid — to tease
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — a committee
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cap — a hat
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — to get on
  22. race — a contest
  23. clip — to cut
  24. kid — child

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