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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: staff · current · lie · rest · cell · mark · race · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. race — humankind
  4. mark — a trace
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — electric
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — a contest
  14. staff — a stick
  15. race — the arms race
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in a prison

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