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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 120 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 · cell · hand · kick · race · bear · land · suit

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. race — a contest
  3. hand — help
  4. race — the arms race
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — humankind
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — clothes
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. suit — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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