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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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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: spring · ruler · straw · vault · stem · net · fork · craft

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — for catching
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — boats
  11. net — after costs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spring — the season
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — in sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fork — a garden tool

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