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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — government
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — to sink
  11. roll — a cake
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cell — a phone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — in biology
  19. roll — a list
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. tube — a container

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