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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — a line
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — to paddle
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a tree

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