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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. current — electric
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — happening now
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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