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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — clever
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. race — humankind
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — a container
  20. race — a contest
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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