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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — a law
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rule — to rule out

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