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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cap — of ice
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — to play on
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — to go on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a hat

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