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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 · rule · chair · bound · present · race · racket · wax

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. present — there
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — a contest
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — a gift
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — a leader

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