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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: kick · race · leaves · vault · swing · shower · mouse · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — a safe
  3. race — the arms race
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — in football
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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