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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: vault · rash · clip · bulb · current · race · lie · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — a series
  7. race — humankind
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. clip — to cut

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