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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 · vault · hide · wound · can · game · deal · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a list
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — a contest
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. roll — a cake
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — humankind

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