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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: race · calf · roll · hand · wake · pass · vault · hide

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. race — a contest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. race — the arms race
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — in cards
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. roll — a list
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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