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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kick — in football
  4. spell — a short time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — the fish
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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