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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. plane — a tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stock — goods
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — humankind

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