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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — clever
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. race — a contest

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