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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a face
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rock — a stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rule — government
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — to hurry

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