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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. toast — bread
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. vault — a safe

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