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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — an aim
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — a contest
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. race — humankind
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — the arms race

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