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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 · dip · rock · lean · vault · pound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — to bend
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — a weight
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — a stone
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — thin

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