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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. tube — a container
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — a company
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — help
  24. race — a contest

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