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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 · lie · kick · ruler · bear · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. 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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — a contest
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — humankind
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. 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