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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — a weight
  6. race — humankind
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. kick — in football
  17. race — the arms race
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. race — a contest
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — the animal

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