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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. present — there
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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