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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: lie · club · vault · mug · lean · race · arm · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — for golf
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — humankind
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — a group
  23. lean — to bend
  24. race — a contest

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