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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — a subject
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rule — a law
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — government
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — to rule out

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