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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — to get on
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fan — a supporter

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