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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — to rip
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rule — government

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