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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 120 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: race · last · capital · bear · object · spell · lash · vault

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. capital — a city
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — humankind
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spell — magic
  17. race — a contest
  18. last — final
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — to go on
  24. capital — money

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