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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · craft · dip · vault · shower · ruler · tube · object

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — rain
  6. object — a thing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — to wash
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — an aim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ground — the earth
  24. vault — a safe

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