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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mug — to rob
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. firm — steady
  5. shower — to wash
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. race — a contest
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — a supporter

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