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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — a break
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — for pool

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