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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. board — to get on
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rush — hurry
  24. trunk — of a car

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