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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — a safe
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. last — final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — a contest
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a committee

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