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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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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: content · mate · staff · nail · rule · shower · vault · chip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — a law
  17. content — happy
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mate — a partner
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — rain

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