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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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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: vault · race · row · rock · ground · wound · mug · staff

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — humankind
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — a stick
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. row — a line
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a face
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — to move gently

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