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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kid — child
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. prune — the fruit

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