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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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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 · charge · firm · bat · sharp · rest · vault · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. race — humankind
  10. shower — rain
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — to wash
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — a break
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — in control
  24. race — the arms race

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