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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: arm · vault · wind · tube · land · suit · firm · ruler

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. land — to come down
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — clothes
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. firm — decided
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. suit — in cards
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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