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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 116 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: fine · bat · vault · mate · leaves · lean · dip · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — thin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — a safe
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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