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

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hand — help
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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