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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. foot — a measure
  3. land — to come down
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. race — the arms race
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — a country
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. race — a contest
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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