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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. last — final
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. last — finally
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — electricity
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. charge — a price

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