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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bound — obliged
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — tied together
  17. prune — to trim
  18. net — for catching
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — a law
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rule — government

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