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

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. race — a contest

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