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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the fish
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — the instrument

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