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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — final
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lean — thin
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — to go on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. last — finally
  24. staff — employees

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