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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — in sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fine — all right
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pass — to succeed

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