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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — humankind
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. race — a contest
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. roll — a list
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — in a road

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