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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: vault · firm · spell · rule · mark · charge · nail · wind

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a grade
  5. firm — steady
  6. spell — magic
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — a law
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — a company
  16. spell — a short time
  17. charge — a price
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — to rule out

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