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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. rock — music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — hurry
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal

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