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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. clip — to cut
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — a video
  24. rule — to rule out

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