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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. object — a thing
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. race — the arms race
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. craft — a skill
  13. race — a contest
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. race — humankind
  17. craft — boats
  18. track — to keep track
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — a song
  23. face — to confront
  24. object — an aim

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