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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
468
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: rush · vault · race · perch · bear · pop · clip · field

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. race — humankind
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — farmland
  8. clip — for paper
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. clip — to cut
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. clip — a video
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — hurry

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