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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a music group
  5. march — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a ring
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rule — a law
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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