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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: vault · charge · stick · lean · foot · roll · race · bound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bound — certain
  3. roll — a list
  4. charge — a price
  5. roll — a cake
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — in control
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lean — to rest against

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