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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 116 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: race · saw · last · rest · mouse · leaves · rule · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — final
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — finally
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — government
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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