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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — soda
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a round shape

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