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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: track · race · snap · vault · cold · can · cabinet · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a path
  11. cold — not warm
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — the arms race
  17. vault — a safe
  18. race — humankind
  19. can — a tin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. suit — to fit
  22. can — a tin
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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