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

Word bank: vault · stand · ruler · race · row · bound

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — humankind
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. race — a contest
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bound — certain
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — to bear
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. race — the arms race

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