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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — thin
  14. last — final
  15. content — happy
  16. last — to go on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to bend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — finally
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — to rest against

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