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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · object · race · vault · tube · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — a thing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — a contest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — to go away

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