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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. kick — in football
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to tire
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kick — with a leg

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