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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — a safe
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fork — in a road
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rule — government
  24. fork — a garden tool

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