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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chip — to eat
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lean — to bend
  7. race — a contest
  8. drill — the tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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