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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chest — a box
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — to grow
  7. land — to come down
  8. chest — of your body
  9. land — ground
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rock — a stone
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — a safe
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chest — of your body
  24. degree — temperature

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