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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — to shout
  19. race — a contest
  20. perch — the fish
  21. race — humankind
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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