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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — humankind
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mine — an explosive

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