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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — boats
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — to get on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a document

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