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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rule — a law
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — a contest
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — in a race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. race — the arms race

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