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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — government
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — a law
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — a safe
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tear — to rip
  20. land — ground
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. patient — a sick person

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