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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: race · bore · saw · tear · lash · vault · ball · jam

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. race — a contest
  4. bore — to tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — the arms race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bore — to drill
  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