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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — a thing
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — letters
  17. rest — a break
  18. prune — to trim
  19. object — to protest
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spell — magic

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