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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — a contest
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. club — a group
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — the arms race

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