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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — a contest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — a safe
  18. race — humankind
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wound — an injury

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