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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: cap · ruler · spell · vault · wind · track · race · last

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — a contest
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — to go on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — a hat
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — a safe

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