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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. suit — in cards
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cell — in biology
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — the cause
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — the season
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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