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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: mouse · race · coach · rush · content · vault · scale · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lash — to lash out
  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