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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. field — a subject
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. race — the arms race
  13. field — farmland
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fall — the season
  16. field — for sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — ministers

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