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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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. last — final
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — a series
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — child
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — all right

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