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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — there
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rule — a law
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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