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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 · race · staff · sharp · jam · bound · chest · stem

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. race — humankind
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — the arms race
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chest — a box
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — obliged
  17. race — a contest
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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