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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — a permit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rule — a law
  24. kid — child

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