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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — a contest
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. race — humankind
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — a safe

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