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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — a safe
  7. last — finally
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rule — government
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pop — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rule — a law

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