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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — goods
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of a car

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