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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: race · calf · bear · vault · saw · rule · stem · staff

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. race — the arms race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — humankind
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — of the leg

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