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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: mug · kick · race · wave · content · fall · season · vault

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — to rob
  5. race — humankind
  6. content — the amount
  7. race — a contest
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — happy
  18. kick — in football
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mug — a face
  24. fall — the season

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