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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 116 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: vault · race · ball · cap · patient · rule · snap · bank

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — a contest
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to click
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a great time
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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