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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rule — government
  4. band — a music group
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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