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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 120 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: race · row · sharp · temple · current · vault · dip · ruler

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — a contest
  17. row — to paddle
  18. race — the arms race
  19. current — of water
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. sharp — exactly

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