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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hand — help
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. race — the arms race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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