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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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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: current · leaves · cap · cell · mug · race · vault · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — finally
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. last — to go on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — a contest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — a phone
  16. last — final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — electric
  22. cap — a lid
  23. current — happening now
  24. cap — of ice

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