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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mug — a face
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — a contest
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a word
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — the season
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mug — a cup
  22. root — the cause
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — to keep track

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