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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — boats
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — a skill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — to fit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — ground
  24. suit — clothes

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