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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — the arms race
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. race — a contest
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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