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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — a container
  5. rule — a law
  6. game — a match
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. plane — a tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — the underground
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hand — help
  23. rule — government
  24. roll — a cake

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