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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 116 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: lean · pop · vault · pound · race · stick · safe · wound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — humankind
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — soda
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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