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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. toast — bread
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — obliged
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. current — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. lean — to bend
  10. race — the arms race
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — certain
  22. lean — thin
  23. race — humankind
  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