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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. sharp — clever
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — in music
  8. race — the arms race
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — final
  12. chip — to eat
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — finally
  16. race — a contest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cold — an illness
  22. last — to go on
  23. cold — not warm
  24. key — the most important part

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