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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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468
Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. file — a line of people
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. file — a document
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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