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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cue — a hint
  12. swing — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. present — the time now
  19. swing — in golf
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — a contest
  23. vault — a safe
  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