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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — to wash
  5. race — humankind
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. shower — rain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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