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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — a box
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kick — in football
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — humankind
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — an aim
  24. hand — part of the body

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