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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — a song
  17. race — the arms race
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a document
  23. fork — in a road
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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