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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. rule — a law
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — of a word
  6. clip — for paper
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — the cause
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pit — in a race
  19. charge — in control
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — to cut
  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