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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 · key · wake · present · lean · deal · vault · pit

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — a trail
  10. race — a contest
  11. key — for a lock
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — in a race
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — thin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — the arms race

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