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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — the fish
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for golf
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — of water
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — a safe
  12. club — for dancing
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — low music

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