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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. race — humankind
  3. band — a music group
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — tied together
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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