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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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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: deal · rule · pop · last · board · vault · cap · fall

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — final
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rule — government
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — finally
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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