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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 116 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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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: cell · spell · suit · march · plane · rule · chair · vault

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rule — a law
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — magic
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. plane — a tool

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