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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — to protest
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. pop — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. pop — soda
  17. last — finally
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — the animal

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