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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rule — government
  4. board — a committee
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. net — after costs
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — for catching
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — to get on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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