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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 · calf · bat · wake · foot · bass · cell · vault

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — a safe
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — the fish
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — a contest
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bass — low music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bat — in an idiom

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