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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: kick · race · leaves · vault · swing · shower

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — humankind
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. swing — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain

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