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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. race — a contest
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — ground
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — to come down
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. race — humankind
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cap — a lid

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