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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. tear — to rip
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fall — to drop
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. race — humankind
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. band — a music group

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