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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rule — government
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — to confront
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chip — to eat
  17. vault — a safe
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. date — the fruit

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