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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: rash · vault · wind · ball · can · race · foot · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — in music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — humankind
  24. foot — a measure

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