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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. root — the cause
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — a gift
  11. race — a contest
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — the time now
  20. race — the arms race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. bowl — a football final

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