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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: vault · mouse · hand · plane · rock · race · snap · kick

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hand — help
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

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