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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: march · vault · rest · kick · drill · scale · straw · leaves

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — a break

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