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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — humankind
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — a hat
  11. race — the arms race
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a lid
  14. snap — to click
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cap — of ice
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. vault — a safe

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