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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cap — of ice
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — a coil
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — government
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — a law
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spring — of water

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