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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 120 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: dip · race · lash · land · vault · pit · object · board

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — a contest
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. race — humankind
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. board — to get on
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — ground
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — a thing
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. board — a committee

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