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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: cap · vault · chest · prune · key · ruler · race · nail

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. key — in music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — a contest
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a hat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — humankind
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chest — a box
  24. ruler — for measuring

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