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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — a break
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cold — an illness
  10. spring — a coil
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. race — a contest
  20. cold — not warm
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — a stone

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