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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — to come down
  4. tube — a container
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — to wash
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — a country
  22. race — the arms race
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. race — humankind

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