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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — a safe
  3. object — to protest
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. object — a thing
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — an aim
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. snap — to click

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