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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. race — humankind
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. race — a contest
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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