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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: pit · row · vault · deal · lie · toast · rule · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pit — a hole
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — government
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — a line
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — in a race
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rule — a law
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. toast — bread
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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