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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. vault — a safe
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — the season
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rule — government
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — for weighing
  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