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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 · mug · land · vault · bulb · current · rule · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. land — ground
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — humankind
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — a face
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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