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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — clever
  3. charge — in control
  4. race — a contest
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — a series
  7. degree — an amount
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. charge — a price
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. charge — electricity

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