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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — after costs
  24. chest — a box

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