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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — a gift
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — help
  9. present — there
  10. vault — a safe
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — in cards
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rule — a law
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — child
  22. land — a country
  23. rule — government
  24. branch — a division

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