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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: race · jam · vault · lie · wind · fork

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. race — a contest
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — to eat with

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