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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: fall · vault · suit · prune · pit · mate · chest · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fall — the season
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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