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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. last — to go on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — government
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kid — child
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  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