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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — the month
  5. race — a contest
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — a friend
  23. race — humankind
  24. cap — a hat

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