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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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