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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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Word bank
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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 · leaves · current · present · mate · can · vault · kid

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — to tease
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kid — child
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a partner
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — humankind
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — happening now
  23. race — a contest
  24. current — of water

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