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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. court — of a king
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — part of the head

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