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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: spell · plane · wave · vault · lean · race · straw · mine

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lean — to bend
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spell — letters
  9. race — a contest
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — thin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. race — humankind

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