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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — to drill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — to tire
  10. toast — bread
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. shower — to wash
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — the time now
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — rain
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — a gift
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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