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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 120 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: current · rule · bay · wake · vault · tear · mine · key

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — electric
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. vault — a safe
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — happening now
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — for a lock

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