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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: hide · race · kid · vault · mate · ground · lash · bore

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — to drill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a friend
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ground — a position
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to tire
  22. race — a contest
  23. vault — a safe
  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