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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. snap — to click
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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