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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — government
  3. hand — help
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — a series

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