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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a ring
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bass — low music
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to confront
  12. row — a line
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fine — high quality

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