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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: saw · wake · pit · arm · vault · race · rock · current

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. current — happening now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — humankind
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. current — electric
  22. pit — in a race
  23. race — the arms race
  24. vault — a safe

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