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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: hide · bear · fine · capital · rest · nail · rule · vault

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — a break
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — money
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. hide — to keep secret

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