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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — to fit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — clothes
  16. spring — of water
  17. suit — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer

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