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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pop — music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rule — a law
  5. drill — army training
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cue — a signal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — a video
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — for paper
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chair — a professorship

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