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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chest — of your body
  14. race — a contest
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — a box
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — hurry

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