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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hand — help
  4. pit — in a race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — what's left

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