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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: vault · lean · game · pit · race · stick · rock · lie

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — music
  7. game — a match
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — humankind
  24. lean — thin

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