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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to click

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