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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — a law
  4. vault — a safe
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. swing — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — to rip
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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