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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. last — final
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — finally
  7. chip — to eat
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — there
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a bank
  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