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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a match
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — help
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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