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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a hat

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