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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. toast — bread
  7. file — a line of people
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ground — the earth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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