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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: chest · rule · present · vault · key · deal

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — a big deal

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