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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — there
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — money
  10. kid — child
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — government
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — to tease
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — hasty
  19. capital — a city
  20. present — the time now
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — a law

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