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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 · lean · roll · vault · clip · pitch · tear · root

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. race — a contest
  3. root — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — to bend
  6. clip — to cut
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. tear — from crying
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — thin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. race — humankind
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. clip — a video
  23. root — of a word
  24. vault — a safe

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