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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: wake · chair · bay · saw · race · sharp · vault · hand

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. race — a contest
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — a professorship

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