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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cold — an illness
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a friend

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