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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: mouse · vault · chair · cold · calf · ruler · bulb · band

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — a leader
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — not warm
  15. band — a ring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cold — an illness
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. calf — a young animal

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