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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ground — the earth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. land — ground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — crushed
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. land — to come down
  24. dip — to sink

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