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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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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: board · game · rock · wave · rule · straw · vault · spring

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — a match
  5. rule — government
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spring — of water
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spring — the season
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — a coil
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rock — a stone
  24. board — to get on

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