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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a face
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. vault — a safe
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. race — humankind

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