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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rule — a law
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — there
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cell — in biology
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — a phone
  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