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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chest — a box
  5. season — of the year
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. club — for golf
  15. spring — the season
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rule — government
  20. club — a group
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — lets stay

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