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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cold — an illness
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — government
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — to eat

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