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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bore — to drill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. charge — a price
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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