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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: bore · stem · race · cap · vault · temple · pass · wake

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — humankind
  15. cap — a lid
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. temple — a place of worship

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