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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. race — a contest
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — hurry
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. race — humankind

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