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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: date · mate · race · jam · rest · board · vault · temple

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — a safe
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — a contest
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — a partner
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a committee
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — the arms race
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. race — humankind

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