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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — government
  9. root — the cause
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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