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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — a safe
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. race — the arms race
  16. current — of water
  17. race — a contest
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. race — humankind
  24. arm — a part of something

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