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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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 — a safe
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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