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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wind — moving air
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. craft — a skill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — an injury

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