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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — letters
  3. root — the cause
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. root — of a plant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — the arms race
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — hurry

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