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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a face
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — for a lock
  18. race — a contest
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. key — in music

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