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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kid — child
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — the time now
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — there
  11. rule — government
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — a publisher
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — to push
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. kid — to tease

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