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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: race · fall · bay · kick · lean · vault · coach · key

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. race — humankind
  13. kick — in football
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fall — the season

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