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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — the season
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. last — to go on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — government

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