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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: race · current · temple · field · lean · rest · deal · vault

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — electric
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — happening now

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