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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pop — soda
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — rain
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — to wash
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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