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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. net — in sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. date — the fruit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — on the calendar

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