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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 116 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: staff · deal · vault · mate · object · kick · race · mark

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mark — a trace
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. object — to protest
  18. kick — in football
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. deal — to handle

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