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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cell — in biology

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