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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rule — a law
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kick — in football
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — a safe

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