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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — there
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — the time now
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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