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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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