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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — a contest
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — humankind
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. race — the arms race
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mine — for digging

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