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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. race — humankind
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. race — the arms race
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — a contest
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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