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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: race · lash · cold · ruler · prune · fall · safe · vault

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cold — not warm
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — an illness
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. race — humankind
  24. ruler — for measuring

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