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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 120 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: mug · race · kick · mouse · vault · last

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mug — a face
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. last — finally
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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