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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 · foot · degree · safe · race · toast · bound · rule

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — bread
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — a law
  5. bound — certain
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rule — government
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — the arms race

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