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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: kid · stem · row · ruler · vault · object · shower · squash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — to wash
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kid — child
  24. row — to paddle

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