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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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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: straw · can · rush · bulb · roll · rule · mate · vault

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a cake
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — a list
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. straw — dry grass

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