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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 · bore · saw · tear · lash · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bore — to tire
  18. race — humankind

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