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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — of the year
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — a stone

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