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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: vault · hand · roll · rule · ball · perch · ruler · toast

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a great time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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