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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rule — government
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — to sit on

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