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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. spring — a coil
  3. race — humankind
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — a contest
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the sport

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