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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · fine · vault · tear · key · trunk

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — a law
  18. tear — from crying

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