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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. last — finally
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. race — a contest
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. last — to go on
  24. vault — a safe

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