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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. present — the time now
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kick — in football
  13. content — the amount
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — for digging
  17. race — humankind
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — there
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. present — a gift

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