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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — an aim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. race — the arms race
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. arm — a part of something

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