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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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 — government
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — a law
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — the time now
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. degree — an amount
  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