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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: stand · rash · vault · last · rule · capital · saw · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. capital — money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — final
  22. race — humankind
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — finally

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