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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cell — a phone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cell — in biology
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. race — a contest
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — the arms race
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

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