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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: present · fine · cell · cap · rule · date · vault · saw

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — government
  6. present — a gift
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cell — in biology
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rule — a law
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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