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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: roll · straw · wave · vault · tear · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. race — a contest
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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