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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — a city
  9. race — humankind
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — money
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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