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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — a measure
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bass — low music

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