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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — government
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — a song
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a path
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. suit — clothes
  19. net — in sport
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — boats
  22. swing — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rule — a law

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