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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — a contest
  4. toast — bread
  5. race — humankind
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — the season
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — the most admired

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