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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — the amount
  11. cue — a signal
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. vault — a safe
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rule — a law
  24. squash — the sport

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