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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: key · race · fork · jam · hide · wound · vault · bear

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. key — in music

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