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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — to bear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — a contest
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ruler — for measuring

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