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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: bulb · nail · race · firm · wound · vault · hand · mate

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — a contest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — decided
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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