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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 116 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: lean · pop · vault · pound · race · stick

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — thin
  13. pop — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — a safe
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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