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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fine — high quality
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fine — all right
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. coach — a trainer

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