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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — a law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — all right
  22. object — to protest
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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