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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.

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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. race — humankind
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. race — a contest
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — for digging
  12. vault — a safe
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — a permit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — of the year

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