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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 · bear · mouse · race · current · nail · row · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — a contest
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — the animal

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