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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: vault · lie · rest · patient · race · ruler · pound · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — a break
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — a contest
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — an untruth

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