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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. current — electric
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stock — shares
  17. chest — a box
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. staff — a stick
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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