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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 · vault · rule · spell · bore · staff · bear · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spell — magic
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — a contest
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — letters
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — the arms race
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — employees
  24. bear — the animal

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