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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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468
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bore — to tire

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