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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: race · lash · kick · roll · stand · vault · content · bear

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. race — humankind
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — the arms race
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — in football
  17. content — happy
  18. roll — a list
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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