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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. race — the arms race
  10. capital — money
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — humankind
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. race — a contest
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — for digging
  20. capital — a city
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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