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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 120 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: last · race · vault · march · trunk · snap · kick · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — final
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — to go on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — the arms race
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. march — music
  21. kick — in football
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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