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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · roll · ball · vault · lie · court · rash · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a dance
  5. race — a contest
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. court — of a king
  14. race — the arms race
  15. roll — a list
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. race — humankind
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lie — to recline
  21. roll — a cake
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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