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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — soda
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — government
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mouse — for a computer

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