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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. drill — army training
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — hasty
  15. race — humankind
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. race — the arms race
  23. vault — a safe
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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