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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. track — a song
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a path
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — low music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lean — to bend
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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