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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — to protest
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — an aim
  12. degree — from a university
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — a thing
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rule — a law

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