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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rule — government
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitch — completely
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. clip — for paper
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. clip — a video
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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