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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · cabinet · race · tube · fork · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — a container
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — humankind
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — a contest

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