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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. race — a contest
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rock — music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cell — in biology
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — a coil

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