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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — tied together
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — certain
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — of water
  23. face — to confront
  24. vault — a safe

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