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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — a company
  9. race — humankind
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — a contest
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. march — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — a stick
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — the arms race
  24. vault — a safe

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