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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — an aim
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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