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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — part of the head
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. race — the arms race
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bound — tied together
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — to confront
  15. race — a contest
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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