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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. race — a contest
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. race — the arms race
  13. land — ground
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. vault — a safe
  16. race — humankind
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rule — a law
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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