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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — tied together
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. row — to paddle
  10. drill — army training
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rule — a law
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. press — to push
  22. bound — certain
  23. drill — the tool
  24. row — a line

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