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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — clever
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — in control
  22. race — a contest
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. straw — a straw man

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