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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — there
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. race — a contest
  14. lie — to recline
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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