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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · suit · calf · vault · land · date · hand · present

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — government
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — to fit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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