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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — a contest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — humankind
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — the season

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