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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 · patient · kick · pit · vault · wind · wound · stand

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kick — in football
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — a thrill

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