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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · can · dip · mug · vault · race · land · object

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — ground
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — the arms race
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. object — an aim
  15. chest — a box
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — to protest
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — humankind
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mug — a face

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