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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. race — humankind
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pit — a hole
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. mine — for digging
  24. safe — out of danger

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