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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: last · march · race · lie · vault · wound · object · game

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. 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. object — an aim
  2. race — humankind
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. object — a thing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a match
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. march — the month
  17. last — final
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. 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