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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — child
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. race — a contest
  17. kid — to tease
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. race — humankind
  24. mouse — for a computer

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