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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — letters
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spell — magic
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — size or range
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — in music
  16. object — an aim
  17. vault — a safe
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — a lid
  24. race — the arms race

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