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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: firm · race · last · row · cue · kick · wax · vault

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. race — humankind
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kick — in football
  15. last — finally
  16. cue — for pool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. last — final
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. last — to go on
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. row — a quarrel

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