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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — the cause
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — a lid
  23. race — a contest
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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