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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — to push
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — humankind
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. vault — a safe
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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