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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. land — ground
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — a country
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. land — to come down
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. object — an aim
  20. face — to confront
  21. rule — government
  22. club — a group
  23. face — to point toward
  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